John teodor lindahl



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. T; LINDAHL. MASSAGE APPARATUS.

110. 555,475. Patented Aug. 11, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN TEODOR LINDAHL, OF STOOKHOLM, SWVEDEN.

MASSAGE APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 565,475, dated August1 1, 1896. Application filed December 27, 1895. Serial No. 573,438. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OHN Tnonon LINDAHL, a subject of the King ofSweden and Norway, and a resident of Stockholm, Sweden, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Massage, of whichthe following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, formin g a part thereof, in which similar lettersof reference indicate corresponding parts.

The object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for massage(movement cure) which is simple and suitable for use in the home,enabling massage to be taken by a person without assistance of anattendant or helper, or when such a person is at hand enabling him toperform the massaging with greater ease than heretofore has been thecase.

The invention consists in providing a crankaxle journalized in suitableposts, which at their upper end carry a straight axle, around which anumber of hammer-shafts are journaled so that their lower ends, whichare provided with slots in which the cranks of the said axle move,receive an oscillating motion when the said crank-shaft is beingrevolved, whereby padded hammers placed at the upper end of said shaftswill receive a hammering motion. For turning the said crank-shaft it isprovided with rollers, preferably one at each end outside the posts,around each of which rollers is wound a string or cord in differentdirections, so that pulling alternately on one or the other of saidcords the crank-shaft will be turned alternately in one direction or theother. The said posts carrying the axles and hammers are hinged to abed-plate or bottom frame, on which is placed a chair, and the positionof the posts may be adjusted more or less from the chair for the purposeof adjusting the hammers to strike the person at the right place. Thehammers are also adjustable up and down, as is also the chair, and thehammers may be turned so as to strike a person sitting or lying on theside of the hammers opposite to the chair.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents an end view of such anapparatus seen from the end opposite the chair. Fig. 2 shows a sideelevation of the same, and Fig. 3 shows the lower part of thehammer-shaft with its slot for the curved crank-shaft.

The frame or bed plate is represented by a. On one end of the same isplaced a chair 2), preferably adjustable as to its height in thewell-known manner. On the other end of the bed-plate is placed two posts0, in the lower part of which is journaled a crank-axle d, which,between the two posts, is curved so as to constitute four cranks e. Atthe top of the posts is fastened another axle f, on which thehammer-shafts g are journaled, so as to be able to oscillate around thesame. Said hammer-shafts are at the lower end provided with slots oropenings h (see Fig. 3) of suitable size for the crank to move in, andone of said hammer-shafts is by means of said opening put over each ofthe said cranks. Outside the said posts the said crank-shaft is straightand preferably provided with one roller 2' at each end. Around each ofsaid rollers is wound'a string, cord, or chain 70, whose one end isfastened to the surface of said roller and whose other end is providedwith a suitable handle 6. The said strings, cords, or chains are woundaround the rollers 11 or the shaft in opposite directions, so that oneof the cords will be wound onto its roller when turning the crank-shaftby pulling the other cord.

The u er end of the hammer-shaft is provided with padded hammers 127.,preferably fixed so that they may be adjusted up and down to a suitableextent as well as fastened either at the side toward the chair I) or theopposite side. The hammer-shafts g may also be made in two parts, asshown in the drawings, one of the parts being provided with a sleeve 12,through which the outer part slides, but to which it can be fastened bymeans of a thumb-screw 0, so that the hammer-shafts may be shortened orlengthened by moving the one part in or out of the sleeve and thereuponfixing the same. The posts a are fastened to the plate by means ofhinges y, so that the posts and the mechanism carried by the same may beturned more or less off from the chair, and guides 19, fastened to theframe, run through the posts, so that the latter may be fixed in anydesired position by tightening the nut g on the bolt 1'.

The use of the apparatus is obvious. If a person needs massage, forinstance, at the back, he sits down in the chair after having adjustedthe padded hammers to a suitable height. By taking hold of the strings,cords, or chains one by each hand and pulling alternately on one or theother he will get the crank-shaft to revolve a few revolutions in eachdirection alternately. The movement of the crank-shaft will causethehammershafts to oscillate around the upper axle, so that the paddedhammers willstrike the back of the person. The power of the stroke maybe adjusted by pulling faster or slower and by moving nearer or closerto the hammers. By adjusting the height of the chair, the length of thehammer-shafts or the padded hammers up and down, or two or more of themat the same time, the hammers may be made to strike the place of thebody where the massage cure is wanted. It is not necessary that theperson taking the massage cure should pull the strings, as a personstanding at the other end may, by pulling the strings, cords, or chains,work the apparatus.-

By placing the hammers on the side opposite the chair and adjusting theinclination of the posts and the mechanism carried by the same theapparatus may be used for striking a person lying on a sofa or the like,whereby places of the body otherwise hard to get at-can be struck. Theuse of the apparatus for self-massage may also serve to give the armsuseful exercise.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. In an apparatus for massage, the combination of posts placed on asuitable footplate provided wit-ha suitable chair, a crankshaftjournaled in the lower part of said I posts, cords or strings fastenedwith one end to said crank-shaft or rollers thereon and partly woundaround the same in different directions, hammers having adjustableshafts journaled between their ends to a fast axle between the top ofsaid posts and their power ends joined one to each of the cranks of saidcrank-shaft in such a manner that they will receive an oscillatingmotion,when said crankshaft is turned, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

2. In an apparatus for massage, thecombination of posts hinged to a bedor foot plate, provided with an adjustable chair, so as to be turnedmore or less back from the said chair, a crank-shaft journaled in thelower parts of said posts, cords, strings, or chains, whose ends arefastened to the said crank-shaft or rollers thereon and wound around thesame in different directions, hammers adjustably fastened to hammershaft, the length of which is adjustable, and which are between theirends journaled on an axle between the top of said post, their lower endsbeing joined one to each of the cranks of said crank-shaft in such amanner that the said hammer-shafts will receive an oscillating motion,when said crank-shaft is revolved, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention 1 have signed myname, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 2d day of December,1895.

JOHN TEODOR LINDAHL. WVitnesses OLOF DAHL, BERTIE BRANDER.

